HOUSTON -- Emerson Hancock has been shut down for the season due to a shoulder issue, but there is nothing structurally wrong and the Mariners are sending him to their Spring Training facility in Arizona to build strength in the area.

¡°No setback or structural issues,¡± Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a text message, after the club¡¯s 8-5 win over the Astros on Wednesday. ¡°With so little season left, we¡¯ve decided it¡¯s best to shut him down and focus on building strength, providing a foundation for future growth. Simply seeing a bigger picture, and Emerson is on board.¡±

Hancock, the club¡¯s No. 4 prospect and the No. 36 in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, was scratched from his scheduled start with Double-A Arkansas earlier this week. He¡¯d made three starts there after being promoted from High-A Everett in early August, compiling a 3.29 ERA and holding hitters to a .196/.255/.216 (.470 OPS) slash line with 13 strikeouts and four walks in 13 2/3 innings.

Hancock, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 Draft, has dealt with lingering shoulder issues at times throughout the summer, missing more than a month beginning in late June, which meant he had to sit out the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. This has been his first year as a professional after being limited to the Mariners' alternate training site during the pandemic-impacted season last year.

The 22-year-old is a huge part of Seattle¡¯s pitching future, so the conservative approach by Mariners management is not surprising.